Druchii  The Dark Elves
by Furryball
Summary: It has been 6 years since Legolas and Gimli left middle earth. They now protect Valinor form the Druchii  Dark Elves  until Legolas meets an female Druchii in the forests of Orome. My first story so lease review chapter one!
1. Feeling

1.

'This is an unusual feeling', he thought calmly. Always calm, but tonight unusually suspicious for an Elf of his experience. He was stood overlooking the cliff face, this was the spot he preferred. He had a clear view of Valinor and every evening before sunset he would stand out and breathe in the air. He could sense a great deal about his surroundings just by being content for those collected seconds. Every bird in the distance, every sound made in the bracken underneath his cabin, the forest of Orome stirring below him, he felt everything. Tonight something was different. It was as if a strange force of wind had tried to confuse his senses, had knocked him sideways, only briefly, so that he could step back and consider that something was about to change. It was coming from below. He couldn't work out how he knew, but he did.

It was an intuition that he had taken for granted, as one would being blessed with a wonderful gift from birth. Of course he knew no different however he was aware of the frustrations and jealousy from others regarding his talents. They never saw it as a burden. His eyes narrowed as he tried to pinpoint exactly where this feeling was coming from. He looked further to the North and almost strained for his vision to be clearer than it already was. He had magnificent eyesight, but they seemed to be failing him now. The forest was vast, never ending and spread out before him. Frustrated he took a deep breath, trying to see deeper, but the connection was broken. The feeling passed and Valinor was as it had been the night before and the night before that.

He turned and walked back to the cabin, bending his head as he went through the very short doorway.

'You know we'll have to fix that door' he said to the seemingly empty room. 'One day it'll decapitate me! And what then? What will become of you?'

He smirked as he lifted the dirty rags slumped in the corner of the room. Underneath was Gimli, his old friend huddled under the covers and apparently unaware of Legolas standing over him. He grunted. He was fond of Legolas but the creature did know how to disturb a dwarf from a most luxurious sleep. Gimli checked himself, luxurious? Ha! He'd had better naps sleeping in the dark caves of Moria with the threat of Trolls and Orks and…

'Gimli! Come now I have news.' Gimli stirred and reluctantly opened his eyes. He looked up at the Elf smiling above him. Legolas was tall and graceful his long hair tied behind his back, his bow loyally by his side. He was powerful, full of insight and strength as well as impenetrable charm. Gimli considered this sat up interested shaking the dust off his beard.

'News you say? From where? We haven't had news in this part of the land for…'

'5 or 6 years, at a guess' finished Legolas. Although it wasn't a guess. Legolas knew the exact time it had been since they had set off from Middle Earth. Six years and forty three days. Soon to be forty four.

'Humph' Gimli grumbled standing up to half the size of Legolas, 'well let's have it then lad. What's so important as to wake a Dwarf from his slumber hmm? And it better be good!'

Legolas stared at his friend, considering how best to speak of his revelation. He thought it better to be direct for what he was about to say may change the course of their friendship. Would break their routine life together and force them to venture out into the unknown yet again. He was excited, ready for a new challenge and happy to fulfil the duty which had been entrusted to him and his small friend; to protect the forests of Orome which lay abandoned and watched under his powerful glare.

He kneeled down to the Dwarf and smiled, 'I don't think we're alone.'


	2. Sounds

2.

In their small cabin the bamboo walls seemed to close in. It was as if the walls themselves were afraid, for they too had been alone, standing on that cliff edge above Orome, holding the forest's protectors inside.

Gimli peered at Legolas through his long eyelashes, stroking his beard as he considered this new piece of information. 'Not alone? What do you mean by that lad? Pfft I've never heard such…'

'I can _feel_ it,' Legolas said simply. 'Listen.'

Gimli did. As far as he was concerned there was nothing down in that pathetic so called forest and there was no evidence that they would ever come across one of the Druchii. Or the Dark Elves as the translation would have it.

'Look if you think...'

'Shhh!' interrupted Legolas. He was quite still positioned in the middle of the room. He willed Gimli to hear what he could; a faint whispering in the trees below. A soft voice crying out, he could make out the sounds, almost as if they were lost words. As if they had been calling out for decades for someone to come and retrieve them and produce meaning from a forgotten language. Who was the creature behind the sound?

Gimli strained to hear what was so captivating to Legolas. He thought he could make out a crow cawing in the distance. And something else, what was that? Perhaps the wind in the trees? He huffed – enough was enough.

'We've been damn well alone in this forest for as long as I can remember!' he yelled. He was agitated now, his chest heaving up and down as he paced the small room, up and down.

'There's no point getting your hopes up that there's something out there lad – experience and time alone should tell you that. This isn't some far fetched attempt at driving me insane is it? I complain of boredom yes – but this is near cruelty! To suggest to an old Dwarf such as myself, that someone, anyone might join our company, coupling, twosome, whatever you want to call it! And as for danger, ha! We've seen nothing of the Druchii, nothing. I'm beginning to think they don't even exist! What evidence do we have Legolas? Hmmm? Tell me, what?'

Rant over he waited for a response from Legolas. Nothing came – he was away, transfixed by the now singsong tune he could hear in the distance.

'There is evidence,' he replied eventually. 'Death, darkness, sadness everywhere. It litters that forest. And finally it's here. I'm going down there Gimli – and you're coming with me!'

'Oh ho I think not lad, I think not!'

'It's your job! It's our duty and it's what we've been sent down here to do. Besides I didn't mention the Druchii not once. You came up with that conclusion on your own.'

Legolas smiled, he knew his next move would swing the dwarf to his way of thinking. Finally some movement! Finally some change in their long and lonely lives. He reached for his bow and arrow, about to be put to good use now. So long had they been fired into tree bark for sport, at last they would fulfil their purpose again. It was as if they themselves breathed a sigh of relief. Legolas strapped his kit on his back and turned to Gimli.

'Unless of course you're afraid old friend.'

Gimli glared at the Elf while strapping his own axe to his torso. He knew Legolas was going to play this card and he had already made up his mind that he would go with him. And besides Legolas seemed to think this 'feeling' he had and this 'sound' he could hear was nothing to do with the Druchii. And so what if it was! He was Gimli son of Gloin! He had fought Orks in their thousands, he was quick and he was strong. But he shuddered when he remembered the legends of the Druchii. He was old and he was unfamiliar in these lands. Despite residing there for, what was it 4, 5 years? They never crossed into the forest, on instruction.

Legolas patted Gimli on the back as he searched the cabin for kept rations and fluids they would take with them. They had now reached an unspoken understanding, that following instinct was paramount in Legolas and that Gimli ultimately trusted the Elf. No more was said between them as they left their cabin for the unknown world of Orome.


End file.
